Can you visit the Die Hard building?

Q: Can I tour Nakatomi Plaza?

Its all public property outside so snap away. As for going inside, you may be able to enter the lobby as far as security but will not be able to get past security. You can also snap some photos inside. You are all mis-informed about access to the Nakatomi building (Fox Plaza).

Q: What is the name of the building in Die Hard?

Of course, this isnt reality, but the culminating scene in the 1988 Christmas-action Die Hard. And the man jumping off the building isnt named John McClane, nor is it actor Bruce Willis, it is stuntman Ken Bates. And Nakatomi tower, well thats really Fox Plaza in Century City, the building that became a star.

Of all the filming locations scattered around Los Angeles, one towers above them all. Literally. It’s Fox Plaza in Century City, better known by its fictional name “Nakatomi Plaza,” the setting of John McTiernan’s 1988 classic Die Hard. The building can be viewed from all across Los Angeles and has changed surprisingly little in the 30 years since the film was released. How little has it changed? Well, to promote the 30th anniversary Blu-ray release of the film, Fox invited members of the press to take a Die Hard specific tour of the building. And it. Was. Awesome.

Table of Contents Show

Other apperances
Getting there
Is the building in Die Hard real?
Can I tour Nakatomi Plaza?
Where is the building from Die Hard located?
What is the name of the building in Die Hard?

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Like, seriously. For someone who loves Die Hard, getting to explore the nooks and crannies of the building was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in this job (and that includes being paid to build a Lego Millennium Falcon).

We learned that the lobby of the building has remained almost exactly the same since 1988. The elevators are almost exactly the same too. A few canopies have been added to the exterior on both sides but, besides that, almost everything on the outside looks just like it does in the movie. That is, except a missing 5th railing. In the film, an LAPD tank breaks a railing going up the staircase and the building has never replaced it, so there are still to this day only four railings.

A huge percentage of Die Hard that’s inside the bowels of the building, but not at a party, was actually shot in the building. (Which makes sense as it’s next door to the 20th Century Fox studio lot, the company that paid for and distributed the film). Anytime someone is running down a hallway, going down a flight of stairs, in an elevator, walking by some big, industrial pipes, all of that stuff is still there. Some of them are rather subtle. Others are not, such as the stairs McClane runs up to the roof (which are actually in the basement) as well as the chain next to them that he uses to hang Karl, the blonde-haired, bad guy.

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The area where McClane meets Hans Gruber and Gruber pretends to be an American is still exactly as it was in the movie, and the tour guides even set up a few little trinkets to remind us. Those scenes, while not obvious in the movie, are actually on the roof of the building. The production did add a few obstacles and things to make it a bit more dynamic visually but it’s still instantly recognizable.

Downstairs the loading dock where the bad guys load in, which is the same place the limo crashes into their getaway car, is also intact, down to the signs on the wall.

Unfortunately, the building, which is currently a functioning office building, doesn’t offer Die Hard specific tours. But it really should. Walking around this building, you get an appreciation not just for the impressive location shooting the film did, but how the film, and the building, have endured for all these years.

Once the tour was over, we were then treated to something maybe even more special. A screening of Die Hard from the parking lot of the building. And, as you may expect, the film still holds up as one of the coolest action movies of all time.

For a reminder of the wonder that is Die Hard, check out the 30th anniversary Blu-ray and 4K.

23. August 2021

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The Nakatomi Plaza is a high-rise office building in Century City, Los Angeles, California. It houses the US branch headquarters of the Nakatomi Corporation, Japanese company. The building itself is called the Nakatomi Tower.

This describes the setting of arguable one of the best Christmas Movies of all time – Die Hard. The movie launched Bruce Willis into an action movie superstar.

In reality, the Nakatomie Plaza is called Fox Plaza and it is actually really located in Century City, Los Angeles, California. With it’s 34 floors and a height of 493-foot (150 m) this skyscraper is one of the tallest in Century City. The building was completed in February of 1987 and now houses the headquarters of 20th Century Fox. Their studios are right next door. Unfortunately, the building is not open to the public and no public tours are available.

Other apperances

Die Hard made the building famous but it also showed up in other movies and TV shows: Die Hard (1988), Airheads (1994), Speed (1994).

It also made an appearance in the TV Show Brooklyn 99.

But that’s not all. You can find the building also in the game Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online where it is called “Weazel Plaza”

Getting there

The address of Fox Plaza is 2121 Avenue Of The Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067. The onsite parking garage is gated and only for guest of the building.

If you want to visit, your best parking location is free street parking on Lauriston Ave, south-west of Fox Plaza. Only on-site of the street allows street parking, please obey posted signs. The street is located next to Ralphs. Please don’t park in the Ralphs parking lot as it is for customers only. From there walk on Olympic Blvd towards the towers and take the first light to cross the street to get on the other side of Olympic Blvd. You want to be on the right side walkint towards the building as from here you can stay on the sidewalk of the off-ramp to get to the building itself.

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Is the building in Die Hard real?

Filming location In the film Die Hard it portrayed the fictional Nakatomi Plaza (also known as Nakatomi Tower), a building owned by a fictional Japanese conglomerate. The damaged version of the tower was made via a scale model special effect.

Can I tour Nakatomi Plaza?

It's all public property outside so snap away. As for going inside, you may be able to enter the lobby as far as security but will not be able to get past security. You can also snap some photos inside. You are all mis-informed about access to the Nakatomi building (Fox Plaza).

Where is the building from Die Hard located?

Nakatomi Plaza is a high-rise office building in Century City, Los Angeles, California that houses the headquarters of the California branch of the Nakatomi Corporation, a Japanese company. The building used to represent it is played by the Fox Plaza building, the main headquarters of 20th Century Fox.

What is the name of the building in Die Hard?

Of course, this isn't reality, but the culminating scene in the 1988 Christmas-action Die Hard. And the man jumping off the building isn't named John McClane, nor is it actor Bruce Willis, it is stuntman Ken Bates. And Nakatomi tower, well that's really Fox Plaza in Century City, the building that became a star.